Family, Luke
by fabulousfangirl101
Summary: Annabeth and Thalia are taking a break from demigod training and attending a boarding school in Seattle. They expect to be able to take a break from the chaos of the magical world, but when they run into an old friend, everything changes. Probably could be rated K , but I'm rating it T anyway. A new chapter will be posted every week.
1. An Old Frenemy Pays A Visit

**Author's Note: Hello, Everyone! This is an in-progress fanfiction that I am currently writing about the characters of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. Before reading this, there are a few things you should probably know: This is an AU in which the battle with Kronos hasn't happened yet, Percy and Annabeth are already officially dating, Thalia never became a hunter, Percy and Beckendorf never blew up the cruise ship, Nico already lives at Camp Half-Blood, and Rachel is already the Oracle. Also, as I said in my other fanfiction, if you like music, feel free to listen to my Youtube music playlist entitled "Random Fabulous Music". As always, feel free to leave a reviews. I appreciate constructive criticism. Lastly, I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series or the Heroes of Olympus series, I am just a fan.**

 **Chapter One: Annabeth POV: An Old Frenemy Pays a Visit**

I moved quickly, my gray skirt swirling around my knees as I walked down the long hallway. Thalia and I were arguing. She stubbornly insisted on not reading the literature book that had been assigned. This caused her to get bad marks on her report card, and teacher comments in the margins, like "doesn't do work". She was trying to get me to give her my notes, but I wouldn't. I argued that she needed to do the work herself. Cheaters never got anywhere in life. Thalia couldn't understand why demigods had to go to mortal school if we would never have a normal life anyway. Fair point, I guess, but I was still set in my ways.

Thalia and I were in the same year (I had moved up a few grades) at an esteemed college in Seattle. Chiron had been skeptical of letting us move all the way across the country from Camp Half-Blood, but I had convinced him. It was the best college in the country, and I had wanted to attend for years.

Thalia, realizing that I wasn't going to change my mind, ended the argument with a defeated sigh. I smiled smugly. Thalia would just have to do it herself.

We arrived at our apartment, which was only about a block away from the university. I shifted my bag to the other shoulder so that I could get the key from my shirt pocket. I unlocked the door, trying not to drop any of my bags. Thalia was right behind me as I walked in. She collapsed on the couch and pulled off her boots without even bothering to untie the laces. I sat down on the worn armchair, putting my hands behind my head and closing my eyes. Finally, a moment of rest. We had just had five straight classes without any breaks, and there was a test in every single one.

Suddenly, my moment of peace was disturbed. I heard tapping somewhere. Cracking open one eyelid, I scanned the room. Thalia was stretched out like a cat on the sofa, both earbuds in her ears. I rolled my eyes. For some reason, she had found it fit to invest in an iPod, but not nicer living room furniture. Go figure.

Seeing nothing, I closed my eyes once more. Seconds later, I heard it again. I sat bolt upright and my eyes flew open. "Who's there?" I called.

Thalia looked at me with annoyance, before understanding. She yanked out her earbuds and came to stand next to me. "What's going on?"

I put a finger to my lips and turned to face her. "Someone's here," I whispered. Movement in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I tiptoed to the door and peeked out the window next to it.

I suddenly found myself staring into the familiar face of Luke Castellan.


	2. Broken Promises

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm going to be posting a new chapter of this story every Monday. Please feel free to follow and review, as I would love to see your opinions. As always, check out my Youtube playlist "Random Fabulous Music" if you like music. And last but not least, I don't own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It belongs solely to Rick Riordan, and I am just a fan.**

 **Chapter Two: Thalia POV: Broken Promises**

Annabeth opened the curtains and stood there, shocked. Thank the gods it wasn't a monster. Annabeth would have had more sense than to just stand there if it was a monster. I crossed the room to where she stood, curious. Nudging her out of the way, I looked outside and saw... I saw... I gasped and my heart started racing. Annabeth stumbled back unsteadily and I threw open the door, throwing myself into Luke's arms. He caught me and we kissed. I was very aware of the tears streaming down my face, which should have made me self conscious, considering I never cry, but I was too elated to care. Luke was back.

Luke leaned back to look at me. "You didn't change much," he observed, smiling.

It was true. I wore the same heavy eyeliner, combat boots, and leather jacket as I had worn almost ten years when we met. Except this time, I was also wearing wearing the crisp white dress shirt, red tie, and grey skirt and vest of my school uniform. "I could say the same for you too," I replied.

The truth was, as I looked at him closer, Luke _had_ changed. His hair was longer and messier, and there were dark circles around his eyes showing that he hadn't been getting much sleep. I wondered when he'd last eaten.

I jumped back when Annabeth cleared her throat. I had forgotten she was there, she had been so quiet. I turned around to see how she was reacting to Luke's arrival. Apparently her surprise had quickly turned into anger. She glared at Luke, who was looking at her sadly.

"Annabeth," he whispered. She didn't reply. "Annabeth, I'm so sorry." He looked down, ashamed. Annabeth's face softened, and she looked like she was about to cry.

"Family, Luke," her voice broke. I had never seen Annabeth this close to tears before. "Remember? You promised. You told me we would be a family."

Time seemed to slow down. I was submerged completely in my thoughts, and recalled memories from ten years ago, some sweet, but some I would rather not remember. They all flooded my head, overwhelming me.

I especially remembered the day we found Annabeth. She was hiding behind a pile of storage crates in the back of an alley, and she nearly decapitated Luke before she realized we weren't trying to hurt her and calmed down. She told us her story, deciding to trust and join us. Luke and I instantly felt the need to protect her. Annabeth had been like a little sister to us ever since.

That night, though, Annabeth started worrying that we were going to take her back to her family. She had run away because she felt neglected, and she never wanted to return. Luke and I had reassured her that we would never do that. We had both known the feeling of being in hard family situations, and we weren't going to force someone else to go through that. I still remember exactly what Luke said next.

"Don't worry, Annabeth. We're a family now. You hear me? A family. I promise." That was back when Annabeth was only seven and Luke and I were twelve. Now Luke was twenty-two, I was twenty I technically was twenty-two as well, but I got turned into a tree for a couple years, long story), and Annabeth was seventeen.

Glancing at Luke and Annabeth's faces, they too were having a mix of happy and painful memories. Pain and sadness swam in their eyes.

I cleared my throat, snapping them out of their memories. I realized quickly that I had started crying again. I wiped my eyes, not worrying about smudging my eyeliner, and turned to Luke. "You should come inside," I suggested, my voice hoarse.

Luke looked up. He nodded. I led him inside. Annabeth shoved past us and out the front door. "I- I need to be alone right now." She came out of her room, pushing past me as she left the apartment.

"Annabeth, wait, please!" Luke pleaded. He sounded hurt. The door slammed shut behind Annabeth. Luke sighed. "I should have expected this, just waltzing in here like that. Thalia, I know I made mistakes. I was angry. With the gods, Chiron, myself. I should have protected you. It's my fault you almost died. I should have- I should have made Grover take Annabeth and stayed behind to protect you. I should've done _something_.

"Kronos caught me at my weakest point. I joined him because he offered me a better deal. The gods treat us terribly. How can you still side with them, after Hera stole your brother? Even though Zeus never treated you like one of his children, never spoke to you, never took care of you when your mother couldn't? After Hermes left me alone, even after my mother started having visions nightly, and I started hiding in the closet because I was so frightened? After the gods let us wander for _months_ without help, or guidance, or even communication? The monsters just kept coming back, but did we get help? Of course not! The gods don't care about us, Thali. Don't you see? They never have, and they never will. Not even our own parents, Thalia."

Luke had risen his voice near the middle of his speech, but by the end it was reduced to a whisper. He collapsed into one of the wooden kitchen chairs, his forehead resting against the edge of the table and his hands covering his face.

"Luke," I said weakly. I honestly wasn't sure what to do. Luke was right- the gods had neglected us. But was it really a good idea to overthrow them? Sure they were arrogant, and didn't do enough for their kids, but there were times when they _had_ shown support for demigods, times when they _had_ helped us defeat monsters.

Luke lifted his face from his hands to look at me. There was something broken inside of him, shattered into tiny shards. I had seen that look before. "I love you, Thali. I never stopped loving you. When you got turned into a tree- I blamed myself. I still do."

I walked over and wrapped my arms around him.


	3. My Little Sister Decides She Hates Me

**Author's Note: Oh my gosh, guys, I'm sorry for the delay! Here's the next chapter of "Family, Luke". If you haven't noticed yet, I'm switching between the POVs of Annabeth, Thalia, and Luke. After this chapter, the cycle repeats and it goes back to Annabeth. Also, I am going to start posting two chapters a week instead of one: one on Monday and one on Thursday. Please review! And here goes the usual: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I'm just a fan.**

 **Chapter Three: Luke POV: I Lose my Sister**

Who did I think I was, waltzing in there like nothing had changed? So much had changed since we were just kids, trying to survive in a world of monsters and unexplainable evil, with no support, no guidance, no parents. Now here we all were as adults, I seeing Thalia for the first time in ten years. I hadn't seen her since she was turned into a tree.

Thalia walked up to me and put her arms around me. I felt pathetic, just sitting there like that. I was supposed to be the one comforting Thalia, not the other way around. I cursed myself for being weak and stood up. Thalia hugged me tighter, and I hugged her back. We stood like that for a while. "Thalia," I said eventually, "I didn't come here just to apologize," I confessed. "I came here because I want you to join me. The gods have done nothing for us. You'd never have to fight another monster again. And Kronos, he promised me that you and I could rule Olympus when the gods are gone."

Thalia's eyes widened. "Luke, you can't honestly believe that Kronos will spare us at the end of this war, much less let us rule Olympus. He will kill every last person, including the people who are loyal to him. What will he need humans for when he has what he wants?"

I pondered this for a moment. "He swore on the River Styx. He won't want to face the consequences of breaking that oath."

"Yes, but how binding will that be when there's no one around to enforce it and all of the gods are dead? When there's no one to rule the Underworld? Who's to stop him from killing you?"

"It will still be binding," I assured her. "The furies will still be around to make sure no one breaks the rules." I was getting desperate now. "Thali, please," I begged. "I love you. I promise you, you'll be safer with me than you ever will be at Camp Half-Blood. I'm never going to let anything happen to you ever again."

Thalia looked at me sadly. "I love you too, but I don't trust Kronos. And what about Annabeth?"

"Annabeth can come too," I offered. "We can be a family again."

Thalia didn't answer. At that exact moment, Annabeth entered the apartment again. Her grey eyes were stormy with anger. "Oh. You're still here." She attempted to push past me, but I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Annabeth," I said. "I know I made mistakes. I'm sorry. I regretted leaving you the second I joined Kronos. That's why I wanted to ask you this." I glanced at Thalia, who looked uncertain. "Will you and Thalia join Kronos and I? You'd never have to fight another monster again. You'd always have everything you wanted, and we could be happy. We could be a family, Annabeth. Just like I promised we would be. So please, come with me."

Annabeth looked at me like I was an alien. "What makes you think I'll come with you?" She yelled. "You're crazy. First you abandon us and join Kronos, and now you're trying to convince us to join you? No, Luke, you don't deserve another chance. Thalia and I aren't going anywhere."

Thalia looked guilty. "Annabeth," she started, "I'm going with Luke. I'm so sorry." Her whisper was as quiet as a child of Hades and her eyes were apologetic as she glanced at Annabeth.

"So you too, huh?" Annabeth's voice was angry and betrayed. "Thalia, why? Why are you doing this? The gods will save us in the end, not Kronos. Thalia, I thought I was like your sister. But apparently I'm not that important if you're abandoning me. So much for family."

"I have to go," Thalia whispered. Her hand brushed Annabeth's shoulder as we stepped out onto the porch. "I'm sorry."

My last sight of Annabeth was her standing in the doorway, shocked, as I shut the door.


	4. Iris-Messaging

**Author's Note: Ugh sorry guys I know this is a day late. I hope you like this chapter, and I promise I'll try to keep to the usual schedule from now on. As always, please review because I'd really like to see your feedback on how it can be improved. And, last but not least, I do not claim to own Percy Jackson, I am just a huge fan.**

 **Chapter Four: Annabeth POV: Iris-Messaging**

I returned from my walk, which had only succeeded in making me more upset than I had been before, to find out that Thalia had decided to join Kronos's army with Luke. After all the time it had taken both of us to get over the fact that Luke had gone over to the dark side, Luke comes in, re-opens all of the old wounds, and takes Thalia away. Did demigods never have good luck? It seemed like something bad was always happening to me.

I flinched when the door clicked shut in front of me. After a minute, I yanked it open again and stared at Thalia and Luke, who were heading toward the parking garage, but I didn't say anything. After a moment, Thalia glanced back, seeing me standing at the railing, but I couldn't make out her expression from that distance.

I needed to talk to someone. I debated Iris-messaging Chiron, but decided against it. First, I needed to talk to Percy.

I ran around the side of the building and grabbed the hose, turning the knob and holding it up to the sun. No one could see me there; the building next door completely shielded this area and no one ever walked between the buildings. I dug a drachma out of my pocket and tossed it into the rainbow. "O' Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Percy Jackson." The mist shimmered. I realized I was getting tired of holding the hose, so I propped it against an old flowerbed.

When the message connected, it took me a moment to process what I was seeing. It was what looked to be the top floor of a high-class apartment building, from the view outside the window and the furniture. I knew instantly that it wasn't Percy's apartment. The second thing I noticed was Percy himself. He was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. Wait- he was tied to the chair. He was gagged, and his head was slumped over. I gasped. No no no no no no no NO! This couldn't be happening. It was just a nightmare; I would wake up in a second. None of this was actually happening.

"Percy!" I whisper-shouted. I didn't know if his kidnappers were anywhere near, and I didn't want to risk speaking any louder.

Percy looked up, his eyes meeting mine. "Amabef?" He whispered. The sound was muffled through the gag, but I could tell that he had said my name.

"What happened?" I said, panicked. "I'll find you, Percy. I will."

He shook his head hard, his eyes wide. _It's not safe,_ his expression told me. He was pleading with his eyes.

I heard a loud sound somewhere on the other end of the message, then heavy footsteps that definitely weren't human.

"Cuff uh conefon!" He whispered loudly. I was two steps ahead of him. I swiped my arm through the mist, dissolving the connection just as a door to the right of Percy opened.

I shut off the garden hose, which had fallen to the ground and soaked my dress shoes. At the moment, I didn't care. I sat down on the planter box, the realization that Percy was in danger slowly dawning on me.

I needed to go and talk to Thalia, but then I remembered that she had betrayed me. She had gone with Luke.

I turned on the water again, this time contacting Chiron. He was in his office at Camp Half-Blood.

"Chiron!" I yelled. He jumped and turned around.

"Annabeth? Is something wrong?" He saw my expression. "Oh, dear. Annabeth, child, I'll send someone to get you back to camp immediately. It seems as if we need to talk." There was concern in his eyes as he waved and his image disappeared.

I shivered. It was getting colder, and a cloud had blocked the sun, threatening rain. I darted back around the side of the apartment, not caring if anyone saw me, and went back inside. I took a hot shower, then changed into a clean pair of jeans and my camp t-shirt, which I had brought just in case, and slipped a necklace over my head: the one with my dad's college ring and the beautiful coral pendant from Percy.

I brushed my fingers over the pendant, only realizing that I was crying when the tears dropped onto my hand. I brushed them away. _Gods_ , I thought. _How many times in one day can I cry?_ _Do I even have any tears left?_

This time, I was crying even harder than when Luke came and took Thalia. Seaweed Brain was gone. I curled up on my bed and cried until I fell asleep.


	5. Almost As Bad As Apollo's Sun Chariot

**Author's Note: Ugh guys I'm sorry I'm a day late posting this. I'm really bad at this whole 'sticking to a schedule during the summer' thing. Schedules are for school. Anyway, please review! There will be another Luke chapter coming on Thursday. Also, if you would like to see a complete list of all of the fandoms I'm in, check my profile. And lastly, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or the bands and songs that I mention in this fanfiction. I am just a fan.**

 **Chapter Five: Thalia POV: Almost As Bad As Apollo's Sun Chariot**

I followed Luke to the parking garage. I wasn't sure which car was his. When had he gotten a car? He walked over to a grey van, which unlocked when he pressed the button on the key. He then ran around the right side of the car and opened the passenger door for me.

I smiled at him and got in. Luke jumped into the driver's seat next to me. He smiled back.

"We'd better get something to eat," Luke said. "It's going to be a long drive back to the ship."

"How long?" Ugh. Long car rides.

"Umm... Two hours? Two and a half?" Luke replied.

I groaned.

"Aww, come on Thali. We'll even listen to your music. I think I've got a My Chemical Romance CD in here somewhere." He leaned over me and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a handful of CDs. He sorted through them. "Aha!" He triumphantly held up Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. "I think I might have some Evanescence, too, if you want to listen to that later. Oh, and if you want to stop by your apartment again after we eat, we can pick up your stuff."

I nodded. "Okay. Let's go eat. I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole pegasus."

"Well, let's go then." Luke told me. "Pick a place."

I selected a popular burger place, which made Luke laugh. "What?" I asked indignantly.

"Well, I was expecting you to pick something a little nicer, but I should have known you'd want burgers. Fast food it is." He slipped the CD into the slot and turned on the car, putting it in reverse.

I sang the words as he drove, Luke just humming since he didn't really know the songs. After only a few minutes, he turned his blinker on and pulled into the restaurant drive-thru. The line was ten cars long. Great. More waiting.

"Whatever you want," Luke told me when we got to the window. I ended up ordering a hamburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake.

"I'll have a cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake," Luke said, craning his neck to see the menu.

I made a face at him. "Strawberry? Really? How can you even drink that?"

The man at the window handed him a paper bag, which he gave to me to sort through, and both of our milkshakes. He passed mine to me. "Like this," he said, taking a sip of his.

"You know I didn't mean it literally. Gods, Luke, do you even know how annoying you are sometimes?" I rolled my eyes. Luke pulled out of the parking lot and headed back the way we came.

"I try." Luke stole one of my fries and dipped it in my milkshake before I could stop him.

"Luke!" I slapped him on the arm. "You have your own."

He shrugged. "Fries don't taste as good with strawberry."

I glared at him, though I wasn't mad. We were driving back down the highway, toward my old apartment.

When we got there, I unlocked the door. Luke stepped in behind me. "Annabeth?" I called. No answer. "Annabeth?" Nothing.

Worried, I walked down the short hallway. The door to Annabeth's room was cracked slightly, and light from the opening shone into the bathroom across from the door. "Annabeth?" I said quietly. When I didn't hear anything, I slowly opened the door. "Annabeth?" I was practically whispering now.

Annabeth was curled up on her bed, fast asleep. The window was open, and a cold breeze was rustling the curtains. I stepped into the room and closed the window, pulled a blanket over Annabeth, and turned of the light. I turned around, seeing Luke standing in the doorway. I didn't know he had followed me down the hall.

I stepped out of the room and closed the door quietly, then continued on down the hall to my room.

As usual, my room looked like it had been hit by a hurricane. Clothes were scattered around the room, the blankets on my bed were halfway on the floor, and my desk contained my laptop, in sleep mode, dozens of CDs, and that stupid Shakespeare book I was supposed to be reading for school. Oops.

I got down on my knees to pull my duffel bag from underneath the bed. Luke leaned against the door frame as I quickly stuffed my clothes in the bag. The final thing I grabbed was my laptop. "Okay," I said. "I think I'm ready." Luke smiled and held out his hand. "Wait," I said. I had forgotten something. I grabbed a sticky note from the kitchen counter and scribbled a quick note to Annabeth: _I'm sorry. -T_


	6. Thalia Meets My Assisstant

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Here's today's chapter of Family, Luke. I actually posted it on time for once! Thank you SO SO much for everyone that's reviewed my story. I really appreciate it! I hope you like this next chapter. I'm sorry it's a lot shorter than the last one. Please review with any suggestions on how you think I can make it better or complements. Lastly, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I am just a huge fan.**

 **Chapter Six: Luke POV: Thalia Meets my Former-Cheerleader Personal Assistant**

I took Thalia's bag from her while she wrote a note for Annabeth. I caught a glimpse of it over her shoulder. It was an apology. I felt bad. Gods, I hated myself so much for ever breaking the promise I had made, the promise we would be a family. Now Thalia was joining me, but Annabeth couldn't forgive me. Old wounds never healed in her eyes.

Thalia took my hand and we left the apartment. She locked the door behind her and slipped the key into the mailbox next door. I turned to her and smiled as we got into the van. I backed out of the parking space and we were off, leaving Thalia's old apartment far behind. Thalia fell asleep before we had even passed the space needle.

I turned off the CD and drove in silence. Luckily, traffic was light, and I arrived at the dock within two hours (I may have driven slightly over the speed limit). Thalia woke up just as the ship was lowering the ramp. I carefully pulled the van into the ship and the ramp was raised again.

I followed Thalia's gaze as she surveyed her surroundings. There were boxes and boxes of demigod necessities: Celestial Bronze weaponry, Greek fire, repair tools in case something happened to the ship, emergency gear, and food, loads and loads of food, arguably the most important resource. There were also cases of water bottles, though the ship already contained a month's supply of running water.

We were greeted by Kelli, the _empousa_ who served as my assistant. "Well, Master Luke!" she said, batting her eyelashes at me. "I see you brought a friend." She leaned down to the passenger side window. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance for a split second when she saw Thalia.

Thalia pressed herself against the back of the seat and glared back at her. I cleared my throat. "Kelli, why don't you go see if the harpies need any help preparing dinner?"

Kelli narrowed her eyes. "As you wish." She walked back to the staircase that led to the kitchen.

I exited the car and walked over to the other side to open Thalia's door for her. She stepped out and stood in front of me, hands on her hips. "You have an _empousa_ as your assistant?"

I shrugged. "She sided with Kronos, and Kronos elected me leader of the army." I explained. I grabbed Thalia's bag from the trunk and she followed me to the other staircase. "I had them prepare one of the suites for you," I said. "I'm sorry it's a bit of a walk from the storage area up to the suites. Right now we're on the bottom level, and the suites are three stories up."

"Nah, it's fine," Thalia said. "You know, Luke, believe it or not, I really can carry my own bag."

"Ah, but then I'd feel useless, and I'd hardly be a good guy if I didn't at least carry your bags." I flashed her a joking smile.

Thalia snorted with laughter. "Fine, fine. You win."

We started up the stairs, following the sound of conversation from the upper floors.


	7. I Return Home, It Doesn't Feel Like Home

**Author's Note: Wow! I actually posted two chapters in a row on time! It's a miracle! Anyway, as always, I really, really, REALLY appreciate all of the reviews I've gotten. Thank you! Also, on a completely random note, I watched the fourth Star Wars for the first time. It was amazing! May I just say, Princess Leia and Han Solo need to end up together. Also, NO SPOILERS! Last but not least, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I am just a fan.**

 **Chapter Seven: Annabeth POV: I Return Home, But It Doesn't Feel Like Home**

I woke up three hours later, and for a blissful moment, I almost forgot the earlier events of the day. Sadly, I remembered them quickly. My boyfriend was in danger, and Thalia had abandoned me. I sat bolt upright. Chiron had said he'd send a team from camp to pick me up. If they had come by pegasus, they should have been here about now.

I jumped out of bed, flicked on the light, threw my belongings into a suitcase, and rushed to the bathroom to brush out the rat's nest that was my hair and wash the tear tracks off my face. Just as I finished, there was a knock on the door.

I grabbed my bag, ran down the hall, and yanked the door open. It was Selena Beauregard. She stepped forward to hug me. "Sweetie, what happened?"

I had to choke down my tears. "Wait until we get back to camp," I said. "Chiron needs to hear this." Selena nodded understandingly. She took my hand and led me outside to where a team of pegasi waited. Clarisse La Rue rode one of them, and Selena and I took the remaining two.

I strapped my luggage to the chariot carried by my pegasus and swung my leg over, hoisting myself up. I pulled the sweatshirt I had grabbed at the last minute around myself, wondering why it was so big. I realized it was Percy's, and fought down a stream of fresh tears. Selena looked back at me as we rose into the air, concerned, but said nothing. She must have realized I didn't want to talk. I was glad that Selena had come. She was the only person I really wanted to see right now.

I stared at the cities below is as we flew across the U.S., back to Long Island, New York. Back to Camp Half-Blood, my home.


	8. I Regret My Decisions

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

 **Author's Note: Ugh guys this is a day late again. Sorry. If I ever post anything late, you can be sure that it will most likely never be more than a day late. For anyone who was wondering if there was going to be a Percy POV chapter, I've been thinking about that a lot the past few days. That's a really good idea and I would like to include Percy POVs, but my original plan for the story was only to have Thalia, Luke, and Annabeth POVs. I've already written up to chapter eighteen, and I don't really want to change that now, but I could possibly write another companion story from Percy's POV, either while I'm writing this or when I'm done with it, maybe? Please tell me what you think of that idea. As always, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. Last but not least, the usual stuff: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I am just a fan.**

 **Chapter Eight: Thalia POV: I Regret My Decisions**

As we reached the top floor of the ship, Luke turned left and led me down the hallway. At the end, there was an extra hallway making a T with the original hallway. This hallway was only about ten feet long on either side, but wider than the previous hallway. There was a door on each side.

Luke used a key to unlock the door to the room on the left. We stepped into the room and I gasped. It was gorgeous! Large windows stretched the length of the back wall, covered by elegant navy curtains that were drawn back to either side and tied with a thin golden rope. To the left, an antique wooden four poster bed was against the wall. The bed was draped with the same thick curtains that covered the windows. To the right, the wall curved, following the shape of the ship's stern. There was a small sofa against the back wall, and a large dining table made of the same wood as the bed, complete with graceful high-backed chairs to to the right. Two long candlesticks rested in holders atop the table, along with a menu of room service options.

Luke set my duffel bag down on the floor next to the bed. "I'll leave you to unpack." He said. "The closet is in the bathroom, over there." He pointed to a set of double doors at the far right of the room. "Oh, and Kelli will be happy to bring you anything you need, including room service, if you'd like it. Dinner will be at 5:30. Do you want to join me for dinner in my room?"

"Sure," I said.

"It's the room in the hallway to the right, straight across from your room," he told me. He smiled and I smiled back before he handed me my room key and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

I carried my bag to the bathroom and began to unpack. The bathroom was large and had a gold bathtub. Windows lined the top of the wall against the ceiling, brightening the small space. I found the closet at the left and began to hang up my clothes. It probably took me less than ten minutes. I ran my hand through my hair, making sure it was still spiked up, and left the bathroom, collapsing on the bed.

I was in awe of how nice the room was. I had never stayed in a room this nice. When I was younger, my mother had had a lot of money, but she wasted it all on clothes and jewelry. We ended up living in a small two-bedroom apartment. Then my brother Jason disappeared, and I went on the run with Luke and Annabeth, where I slept on the street. After that, I moved into Cabin One at camp, a cold and depressing place. To me, this room was practically like a palace.

I got up again, shaking myself out of my thoughts, and grabbed the room service menu from the table out of curiosity. At the bottom of the elegantly typed menu with dishes I couldn't pronounce, sloppily handwritten in red marker, were "hamburger and fries" and "chocolate milkshake". I couldn't help but smile. Luke knew me so well.

I glanced at my watch and realized it was 5:20. Looking down at my clothes, I knew I should probably change into something nicer. I selected a black dress that went surprisingly well with my leather jacket and combat boots, then walked across the hall to Luke's room.

I knocked on the door, and it was opened almost immediately by Luke, wearing a suit. He smiled. 'Hey, Thali. Come on in." He held the door open for me. His suite was a mirror image of mine. The table was set for two with gold silverware, and the two long candles were lit. He pulled out a chair for me at the head of the table and I sat down. He sat down on my left.

"I asked the cooks if they would make steak tonight. They're making mashed potatoes too." I smiled in anticipation, and he laughed in response. "I knew you'd like that," he said. "Kelli will bring them up momentarily."

My smile quickly faded. I leaned forward. "Look, Luke, I don't feel comfortable with all of these monsters here. How can you side with them when we've been fighting them all of our lives?"

"Thali, Kronos has offered me a much better deal than the gods. The gods sent us out in the world on our own to prove our worth by fighting monsters, and you saw how well that worked out." He subconsciously touched the scar running down the side of his face. "Kronos promised to protect us if we sided with him, and the monsters are under his control. We can overthrow the gods, and we'll never have to worry about monsters or quests ever again."

"So who's us?" I asked.

"The other demigods who sided with Kronos and I," he said. "And now you," he added with a smile. I didn't return it.

"How can you just forget all of our friends at camp, Luke? What about Annabeth? By siding with Kronos, you're betraying all of them. You're betraying _me_."

"Thalia, they made their own choices. They can still choose to side with Kronos, if they want."

"As much as I hate the gods, I can't betray them. They're our only family left, Luke. Them, and the demigods at camp. Luke, please, I'm begging you, come back to Camp Half-Blood with me. I can't bear to betray any of my friends, especially not Annabeth!"

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Kelli the _empousa_ entered. I realized I was standing, and quickly sat back down. Kelli set the plates down and left the room, looking positively delighted about our argument.

"Annabeth can still come here. Please, Thalia, just think about what will happen when we overthrow the gods. We could be happy."

"Are you even listening to me?" I stood up again, upset. "What about our friends? You know they aren't going to join you. What are you going to do, stand by and watch Kronos's army, _your_ army, kill them, and expect me to do the same? You're delusional. I shouldn't have come here."

"Thali, please, _please_ , listen to me-" Luke started.

"No, Luke, I won't listen to you. You're a traitor. I can't believe I ever came here." He tried to grab my arm, but I pulled away and picked up a pitcher of cider, throwing it at the wall. It shattered, leaving sparkling apple cider and shards of broken glass everywhere. "I'm leaving."

I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me, and entered my own, locking the door.


	9. I Weigh My Options

**Author's Note: Ugh I know, I'm posting this a day late _again._ I'm really sorry, guys. I'll try to post on time in the future, or give some warning if I know I won't be posting on time. Also, I would like to say, thank you so, SO much to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. In a recent review, I was told that I would be able to improve my story more if I had given some more background information besides what I wrote in the author's note and the summary, and I promise I will keep that in mind. I've been considering ways to give more background information, such as an extended summary or prologue, maybe? Anyways, I hope you all like this chapter! I know it's super short, but I promise not all of the chapters will be this short. Lastly, I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I am just a fan.**

 **Chapter Nine: Luke POV: I Weigh my Options**

Gods, I was stupid. I should have known this was going to happen. Now Thalia hated me, and so did Annabeth. Frustrated, I hit the table, causing the contents to shake and my glass to fall over, spilling all over the carpet next to my chair.

I was tempted to run to Thalia's room and try to apologize, but I knew Thalia well enough to know that this soon, it would only make matters worse. "Kelli?" I called. She opened the door. "Can you please send a cleaning crew up here to get rid of this mess?"

"Of course, master Luke." She smiled and closed the door again. I hated how gleeful she looked.

I couldn't bear to stay in there anymore, so I changed into a bathing suit and went down to the pool. I passed the cleaning harpies on the way out. They bowed and said nothing. Unluckily, I also passed Kelli again.

"Master Luke, would you like us to take her back to shore?" she asked.

"No. Just let her be alone. I need some time to myself as well." I continued on, not waiting to see her response.

When I arrived at the pool, I dove straight in and swam laps back and forth until I was out of breath. Then I leaned against the corner of the pool and looked up at the sky. I wondered if the gods were watching me.

For the first time since I joined Kronos, I considered it, what Thalia had said, that maybe I was wrong about the gods. I knew in my heart that she was wrong about me. I would never be able to stand by and watch as my friends were killed. Especially not her, or Annabeth. Or even Chiron, or any of the demigods at camp for that matter. Not even mortals I had never met.

I closed my eyes, thinking. Could I rejoin the demigods? Could I fight against Kronos instead of Camp Half-Blood? Did we even have a chance at winning, or would it all be for nothing? I thought about that for a second. Did I even _care_?

I pictured Annabeth's reaction when we met next time. It would be in battle, and we would be on opposite sides. Her expression was a mixture of disbelief, betrayal, and hatred.

That thought alone was enough to make me realize that this wasn't where I was meant to be. I should be fighting alongside Camp Half-Blood: alongside my siblings, Annabeth, Thalia, Chiron, and all of the others. I had made up my mind. We needed to get off this ship.

I almost ran to tell Thalia right that second, but then I realized that I needed to wait at least a few days. I couldn't raise suspicion, because I knew that as soon as the monsters and the rest of Kronos's army figured it out, they would try to kill us. We needed an escape plan.


	10. Demigod Dreams

**Author's Note: A day late again. I'm really not good at this whole schedule thing. Sorry! Anyways, I hope you all like this chapter, and I'm assuming that by now you all already know that I don't own Percy Jackson and am just a fan. As always, thank you all so much for the reviews!**

 **Chapter Ten: Annabeth POV: Demigod Dreams**

After hours of flying, we finally arrived at camp. It was well into the evening, at least 7:00 by now, and after the day's events and all of the crying, I was absolutely exhausted, but I knew that the first thing I needed to do was talk to Chiron.

The first thing Chiron did when he saw me was give me a hug and a small square of ambrosia to calm me down, as I had started to cry again. Then we sat down on the couch in the Big House (well, I sat down, he was in his wheelchair) and I explained to him everything that happened.

"Please, Chiron," I sobbed, "Please help me organize a quest to find Percy. He organized a quest to find me once. so I know we can assign a quest to find him. Please!"

Chiron nodded, his eyes lowered in sadness. "Of course, child. Before you were back, Annabeth... Rachel issued a prohecy. I believe she needed to speak with you. She hasn't told anyone else yet."

"Where is she?" I sniffed.

"Last I saw her, she said she was going to take a walk by the beach and to send you down there when you arrived."

I nodded and stood up. "Thank you, Chiron."

I found Rachel right where Chiron had told me I'd find her: down at the beach. Being at the beach reminded me of Percy, and I wished that Rachel had chosen somewhere else to meet me.

"Rachel." She turned at the sound of her name.

"Annabeth, you're here," she said, her eyes filled with sadness. "I knew before you came. I have a prophecy for you. You're going to want to hear it."

Rachel took a deep breath and started. " _Three heroines shall follow the trail, through the maze they will prevail, but in the end a battle shall rise, and a friend will see through different eyes._ "

I swallowed. That didn't sound good. It sounded as if we would be travelling through THE maze, which Percy and I had believed we'd destroyed last year. Apparently not, unless the prophecy meant a different maze, which was highly unlikely. And there was also the part about a friend seeing through different eyes... what was that supposed to mean? I suspected it was something along the lines of someone on our side deciding to join Kronos, but I desperately hoped not.

Suddenly, the exhaustion of the day caught up with me and I collapsed on my knees in the sand. Rachel put her arm around my shoulders and helped me up. "Come on. You need some sleep. We can assign the quest in the morning."

As much as I knew she was right, I was still angry with myself for not leaving right then to find Percy. Every second that went by, Percy was still in danger, and it was more likely that he could be dead. That was my last thought as I slid into my bunk and immediately fell asleep.

I dreamed that I was seven years old again, hiding behind a storage crate in an alley. Luke and Thalia entered the alley and I freaked out, unsure whether they were friends or enemies. Luke stared at me wide-eyed, like he couldn't believe how fierce I was for a seven-year-old. In the end, I joined them, and we ended up laughing about the whole experience.

As soon as Luke made his promise, though, the one he would never keep, the dream changed. I was with Percy, and we were standing in front of the cash register at Sweet on America, the candy shop where his mom used to work. I was chuckling as Percy ordered a large bag of blue candy, for old time's sake. I remembered that day. Percy had shown me around New York and had ended up dragging me into a candy shop. It was a happy memory, at least until the checkout lady turned into Kelli the _empousa_. I had never met her, but Percy had described her pretty accurately.

"Well, look who we have here," she said.

I reached down for my dagger, but it wasn't there. Percy hesitated for a split second too long. Kelli lunged at him and I screamed.

The dream changed. I was running up Half-Blood Hill with Luke, Thalia, and Grover. There were monsters chasing us.

"GO!" Thalia yelled. "I'll hold them off. Grover, get up the hill!"

Luke picked me up and he and Grover ran up the hill. "NO!" I screamed. "NO! THALIA, NO!" But it was too late. I saw Thalia on the ground, the monster standing over her. She was dying.

"I'm sorry," she muttered weakly. Then something unusual happened. Thalia disappeared, and a beautiful tree appeared in her place.

The tears started falling. Just when I couldn't take it anymore, the dream changed for the final time.

I was standing in the apartment where Percy was trapped. I saw him, sitting there in the chair, tied up like he was before.

Realizing that I was able to move in my dream, I rushed forward with the intent of untying him. How he was going to escape, I had no idea, but I had good intentions. When I was almost at his side, an inhuman voice said, "Not so fast."

A figure moved out of the shadows. A cyclops. I was shaking from head to toe. The last time I had met an evil cyclops, I had been with Percy in the sea of monsters. We had only barely escaped because I tricked it using the same method as Heracles in the old myths. The time before that, I was seven years old and on the run with Thalia and Luke. The cyclops had changed it's voices to mimic Luke and Thalia. I was forced to run through the dark mansion, and I barely found them in time to save them from being eaten. I wasn't eager to see another one.

The cyclops chuckled darkly. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said. "You have four days to surrender to Kronos, or the boy dies." He tipped Percy's chair to emphasize his point. Percy groaned, unconscious.

I swallowed hard. In four days it would be August 18th. Percy's 17th birthday.

The dream faded and I woke up in a cold sweat. I sat up abruptly, hitting my head on the bunk above mine. I needed to choose companions and leave as soon as possible.


	11. The Vacation's Over

**Author's Note: Sorry this is late again. I'm going to try and keep today's author's note short: Thanks for reviewing! I do not own Percy Jackson, I am just a fan.**

 **Chapter Eleven: Thalia's POV: The Vacation's Over**

I can't believe I ever trusted Luke. He was crazy, and he would never go back to Camp Half-Blood. He would kill as many demigods he needed to as long as it would get him what he wanted. I groaned, upset with him, myself, and my stupidity for believing he could change, that I could convince him to change sides.

So much had changed since we were twelve. I wished that we could go back to the days when we were a family, just the three of us.

All of these angry thoughts ran through my head. I stayed in my room for the rest of the day and the entire day after that, refusing to even come out to eat. Luckily, someone was leaving food outside my door on a regular basis. I suspected it was Luke, as a peace offering. Nice try, Castellan. I'm not falling for your lies again.

Finally, that evening, someone knocked on my door. "Thalia?" Luke called. "Can I come in?"

I would have said no, but I needed to convince him to take me home, so I opened the door for him.

He stood there in jeans and a t-shirt, holding a tray of food. I opened the door wider so he could come in, saying nothing.

I sat down on the couch by the window. He set the tray down on the dining table and sat down next to me. I turned away.

"Thalia, we need to talk." He lowered his voice. "About what you said last night. You were wrong. I can't kill friends, fellow demigods, or innocent mortals. I'm going to go back and fight with Camp Half-Blood."

I gasped but then I said, "How am I supposed to trust you?"

"I'm telling you the truth, Thalia, I promise. I swear on the River Styx, I've never lied to you."

I thought about his words, but he was telling me the truth. He hadn't ever lied to me. When we were talking last night, I just hadn't agreed with him. I knew in my heart I needed to trust him. I took a deep breath. "I trust you."

Luke looked relieved. "I have a plan. We need to make sure that we only discuss this in private, because if any of the other crew members get the word, we won't survive five minutes on this ship. I can tell the captain that I need to get to New York to attack Camp Half-Blood, but he might get suspicious. If he does, we need to make a run for it. Got it?"

I took all of this in. I couldn't even describe how elated I was that Luke wasn't evil, and that he would abandon Kronos.

Before I could reply, though, the door burst open and and an army of monsters crowded in. Kelli stood in front of the mob. "Get them!" She shouted. The monsters surged forward. Luke and I glanced at each other, and somehow we both knew the plan. We stepped back a few paces, grabbed each other's hand, and took a running leap, smashing through the window. We hit the water, and then everything went black.


	12. Rescue

**Author's Note: Woohoo! I posted this on time, guys! Celebration time! LOL. Anways, hope you enjoy this chapter. From now on I'm going to keep my author's notes pretty short like the last chapter I posted. Obviously I don't own Percy Jackson. I'm just a fan.**

 **Chapter Twelve: Luke POV: Rescue**

I was surprised about two things. First, that neither of us died immediately when we hit the water, and second, that none of the monsters followed us. I guess they probably figured we'd die on impact, which is what I would have guessed as well. Either that, or we'd drown. I hadn't thought of that one.

My head broke the surface, and I gasped for air, then looked around for Thalia. I didn't see her anywhere. I dove underwater again and again, looking for her. Finally I saw her. She was slowly sinking, unconscious.

I reached forward and grabbed her arm, kicking for the surface. I refused to die like this. I was running out of oxygen. It was a lost cause. There was no way we would survive. I closed my eyes and made a silent apology to Thalia.

Suddenly, I saw a giant figure swimming towards me. It grabbed my free arm and carried us both to the surface.

I gulped air and looked around for my rescuer. It was a cyclops. The cruise ship was nowhere in sight.

I pulled Thalia closer, away from the cyclops. "Who are you?"

The cyclops regarded me coldly. "I am Tyson, brother of Percy Jackson."

"You're Percy's brother?"

"Yes. And you are Kronos's friend."

"No, no, Tyson, I used to be, long story, but now I'm sided with Camp Half-Blood. Thalia and I were going to go back there, but the crew found out and they were going to kill us, so we were forced to jump overboard. You saved us," I explained.

Tyson's expression changed into pure happiness. "Luke friend!" he said gleefully, and swam over to give me a hug.

"Umm, okay," I said, struggling to stay afloat. Listen, Tyson, is there anyway you can help us get back to Camp Half-Blood? My friend here is unconscious, and we need to get her to safety."

"Yes," Tyson agreed. "I can call friends." He whistled. "Rainbow friend?"

Two Hippocampi surfaced next to us. "Rainbow!" Tyson shouted happily. "Here, friends, Rainbow and his buddy will take us to Camp Half-Blood."

I got onto the smaller Hippocampus and pulled Thalia up with me. Tyson got onto the other one, and they took of across the ocean.


	13. I Choose My Companions

**Author's Note: Hello. This is late again. Sorry. Also, I've been getting lots of comments that I should make the chapters longer. I'll try, but I've already written up to chapter 18, like I said, but I'll try to make them longer after that. Thanks for the reviews! Last but not least, I obviously don't own Percy Jackson.**

 **Chapter Thirteen: Annabeth POV: I Choose My Companions**

I hopped out of bed and dressed quickly, even though the clock on my nightstand told me it was only 5:22. I grabbed my knife and slid it into its sheath, stuffed a backpack with clothes, and rushed to the Big House to speak with Chiron.

When I got there, I hurriedly explained my dream and Rachel's prophecy to Chiron. He didn't seem surprised, almost as if he'd expected it. He supplied me with extra ambrosia rations, three-hundred dollars in mortal money, ten drachmas (for Iris-messages), a few protein bars, first-aid materials, and two bottles of water.

"Annabeth, child- I wish you luck." With that, Chiron bid me goodbye to choose my companions and leave on my quest. "Argus will be waiting to take you into the city."

I ran out the door and to the cabin area. I stood on the porch of the Hypnos cabin, knocking urgently. I heard groans of protest from inside. In my hurry, I had forgotten how early it was, and now I had woken up the whole cabin.

Finally, a girl with short blonde hair opened the door. "There better be a good reason you're here at _five in the morning._ " She looked at me expectantly.

I didn't bother to explain. "Is Layla here? It's urgent."

Without waiting for an answer, I pushed past the girl and entered the cabin. I walked all the way to the back, where Layla sat up in her bunk, pulling back her curly brown hair in a ponytail. Her brown eyes reflected her curiousity, and I was surprised to see that she didn't seem tired at all. "Annabeth? What are you doing here?"

"Layla, I need your help. I'm leaving on an urgent quest, and I need you to come with me. Will you please come?" I asked. I prayed she would say yes.

"Of course. Give me five minutes, I need to get dressed and pack," she said, like it was obvious that she'd agree.

"Thank the gods," I said, relieved. "I need to go find someone else. Meet me at Thalia's tree." I winced, still missing Thalia. The campers looked up at me curiously as I left the cabin.

"Alright."

I ran down the front steps and hurried over to the Hecate cabin. I knocked on the door, and it was opened by the head counselor, Alyssa. "Annabeth? Why are you here so early?"

"Long story short, I'm going on a quest and I need to speak with Milo."

"Sure, but don't wake anyone else up." She pushed the door open and I turned to the bunk on my right, whispering his name. Milo sat up on the top bunk, rubbing his eyes, and asked, "Annabeth, what are you doing here?"

I quickly explained to him what was going on. He agreed to go with me. While he was getting ready, I went back to meet Layla at Thalia's pine.

No surprise, she was already there. She put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Annabeth. We'll save him. I promise." I relaxed. I hadn't realized before, but my muscles were tensed. I let out the breath I had been holding.

"Thanks, Lay," I said. "I needed that."

Layla had the power to calm people down just by touching them. It was useful when she volunteered in the infirmary with the Apollo kids, because when someone was in major pain, or one of their friends was really worried about them, she could calm their emotions.

Layla had been a close friend of mine since she had arrived at camp six months previously. She was also one of the most powerful demigods at camp, her and Milo, and I was glad to have them on the quest with me.

Moments later, Milo appeared at the top of the hill with a black backpack slung over one shoulder. His brown hair was messy and unbrushed, and bright blue eyes sparkled with anxiety. "Let's go," he said.

Together, we made our way down past Thalia's pine to the base of Half-Blood Hill, where Argus was waiting for us.


	14. Luke Comes Home

**Author's Note: AYYYYYYYY GUYS I POSTED THIS ON TIME! YEAH! Anyway, this is entirely unrelated to my fanfiction, but have you all heard about the thing that happened with MCR yesterday? MCRX? Everyone (including me) thought they were getting back together, but it turns out that they're just re-releasing TBP for its ten year anniversary. I'm really sad, but I guess a part of me realized that believing they would get back together is unrealistic. They've all moved on. Anyway, about the fanfiction, you all know that I don't own Percy Jackson, obviously. I'm just a fan.**

 **Chapter Fourteen: Thalia POV: Luke Comes Home**

I awoke to find myself speeding through the middle of the ocean on the back of a fish horse. Not exactly your average day.

Luke sat behind me, keeping me steady so I wouldn't fall off. I turned around, hoping for an explanation of what was going on. Behind Luke, I could see a second Hippocampus carrying Tyson, Percy's cyclops half-brother, cheering as his Hippocampus ducked beneath the waves and performed jumps and tricks.

"Hey, Thali," Luke smiled. "You're finally awake."

I nodded, then groaned at the pain. "Oh, gods, what happened? The last thing I remember is jumping off the boat and landing in the water, then I blacked out."

"You almost drowned at that point, and I swam down to get you, and then we both almost drowned. Then Tyson here found us, almost left us for dead because he knew I used to be on Kronos's side, and then I explained my change of heart, and he called these Hippocampi to get us to Camp Half-Blood."

"Ugh... wow." I rubbed my head. "Okay, you can stop now. You're giving me a headache just thinking about it."

"Friends, camp is ahead!" Tyson shouted. Sure enough, I could see the shore of Camp Half-Blood straight in front of us, the rest of the camp hidden by the tall sand dunes.

I sighed in relief. The Hippocampi glided up to the edge of the shore to let us off. I swung my leg over and started walking, then fell to my knees, the effort almost making me pass out again.

"Woah, careful, Thalia." Luke said. "We need to get you to the infirmary as soon as possible." He grabbed my arms and lifted me back up, picking me up to carry me even as I protested.

Luke carried me up to the top of the dunes, where the daily activities were in full swing in the valley below. Satyrs walked among the strawberries, playing their reed pipes, vines curling up in their wake; campers played basketball and volleyball over in the courts; Chiron sat on the porch of the Big House, drinking lemonade; other campers trained in the sword fighting arena, practicing with dummies and each other, and I could see a team of Ares kids setting up traps for capture the flag in the woods. Home sweet home.

I craned my neck to see how Luke was feeling. He looked uncomfortable. A bead of sweat was forming on his forehead. "Relax, Castellan. You'll be fine."

"I'm just worried that when I walk in there, they'll think I'm still their enemy and attack me."

"Valid worry," I said. "But that's not the first place we're going. You and I need to talk to Chiron."

"No, you need to get to the infirmary. We can talk to Chiron there. I know you're trying to get out of it," he accused.

"Fine." I sighed. "Let's go down there."


	15. Agreement

**Author's Note:** **Hey guys! Here's the next chapter of Family, Luke. I hope you guys like it. Last but not least, I do not own Percy Jackson, I am just a fan.**

 **Chapter Fifteen: Luke POV: Agreement**

I carried Thalia carefully down the hill towards the Big House. It looked different than the last time I had seen it. It seemed to have recently been painted light green, and the trim and porch had been touched up a bit, but they were still white like before.

Chiron looked up from his book when he heard us coming. He set his lemonade glass on the table next to him and stood up quickly from his wheelchair. The Chiron I knew never got angry, but I could see that he had an angry glint in his eyes.

"Luke Castellan." He acknowledged. "I see you are with Ms. Grace as well. I would have assumed that the next time you showed up you would have brought some of your nasty little friends, maybe even Kronos himself to attack Camp Half-Blood."

I helped Thalia sit in one of the deck chairs and raised my hands in front of me. "I'm not here to attack our camp. We need to talk."

Chiron looked at me, still untrusting. "Very well. Let's go somewhere more private."

"Chiron," I said, as he beckoned for me to follow him into the Big House, "Thalia needs medical attention. Can we speak in the infirmary?"

Chiron nodded and we went through the Big House to the infirmary. There was only one person in there, Will Solace from the Apollo cabin. He was making the beds. "Hello, Will," Chiron said. "Thalia requires urgent medical attention, and it seems that I have matters to discuss with her and Mr. Castellan. Could you give her a check-up, please?"

"Uh, yeah," Will stammered, although he seemed surprised to see that Chiron was with none other than me, the servant of Kronos.

I set Thalia down on one of the beds and Will hurrried over to her. I pulled a chair up to the bed to talk.

I told Chiron everything, from the part where I visited Annabeth and Thalia's apartment to the part where the Hippocampi dropped us off on the beach. Thalia chimed in to include the parts I forgot.

"I see," Chiron said. "Luke, I had always hoped that you would return to camp, but you understand that there is no way for me to be sure that you have really changed and intend us no harm."

"I understand, Chiron." I said. "Do what you need to do. I hope that someday you'll realize I've changed."

Chiron nodded. "You will need to stay here, in the Big House, and Argus will be, ah, keeping an eye on you, so to speak. I do hope that what you say is true and you really have changed. I always had high hopes for you. Follow me." He trotted out of the infirmary. I stood up and glanced at Thalia, who was watching me. I didn't want to leave her, but I did what Chiron asked and followed him out of the room.

We, well, _I_ walked, and Chiron trotted out of the room and down the hall to the extra bedroom at the back of the Big House. He beckoned me inside. "I hope you understand I will need to do a search of the camp to confirm your statement," he said. I nodded. "You must stay here, as none of the campers know that you are here yet. I will announce it at tonight's campfire, after which you may walk around the camp as you wish, as long as Argus goes with you. I'm sure your siblings will be pleased to hear of your change of heart." He patted my shoulder. "It's good to have you back, lad."


	16. Into the Labyrinth

**Author's Note:** **I'm sorry this is kind of a lame chapter, and I hope you don't hate me for adding in OCs. :D LOL. I promise that these are the only two OCs that I make that will be major characters. There may be some OCs later in the story in a battle scene or something like that, but they'll probably only be featured in a chapter or two. Who do you like better, Layla or Milo? Leave your opinion in a review. Also this is really random and** **unrelated to the story, but I forgot to mention in the previous author's note that I am currently obsessed with Miraculous Ladybug. I love Cat Noir so much and Plagg is my favorite Kwami. I also ship Lady Noir a lot. And again, I don't own Percy Jackson.**

 **Chapter Sixteen: Annabeth POV: Into The Labyrinth**

The three of us hopped in the van and Argus drove us into the city. For a daughter of Athena, it was scary for me to say that I had absolutely no idea where to start. I wasn't even sure if Percy was being kept in New York, although the fact that we were supposed to be travelling through the maze was an indicator that no, Percy was not in New York. He could be all the way across the world, for all I knew.

Layla fell asleep on the way into the city. I wasn't surprised. She was a child of Hypnos, after all. Layla was the most powerful demigod at camp. She could make twenty people in a room pass out asleep for days. She could also make them sleepwalk, which was terrifying, as she could make you take a swim in the canoe lake in your sleep. Outwardly, she seemed like she wouldn't hurt a fly, but get on her bad side and she could be dangerous. I definitely wouldn't want to be on the opposite side of her in a battle.

Milo sat all the way in the back, wide awake and looking around with bright blue eyes, fiddling with a stone from his backpack. I didn't know why he was carrying a stone, although I knew that it must be because it was powerful in some way. Milo was not someone you wanted to be opposite of in battle. The other campers basically just avoided him during capture the flag. He was powerful enough to make you lose the bones in your legs for a week (it had happened). I was glad to have him on my side. With Milo siding with Camp Half-Blood, I almost felt sorry for Kronos.

All in all, those two and I made a great team. Argus dropped us off at Central park. I had to shake Layla to wake her up. She slept like a rock. I figured our best bet, as much as I hated to say it, would be to find a maze entrance. And I knew exactly where to find one.

We gathered around a statue of Shakespeare to develop a plan. I told them my idea, and, much to my dismay, neither of them seemed to have a better one.

We took a taxi back to the basement where Percy, Rachel, and I had found the entrance to the labyrinth a few years ago. The mark of Daedelus was still there, glowing faintly blue. I hesitated, my hand hovering over the mark. Did I really want to do this? When I thought of Percy, alone and tied to a chair, my answer came immediately and without hesitation. I did.

My hand touched the cold stone wall and an opening appeared. I looked around, remembering my surroundings. The huge skeletons suspended over the door. The warning signs. The dark tunnels leading to the right and left.

"Which way?" Milo asked, voicing all of our thoughts.

I shivered. There was a cold draft coming from the left passage, and I felt an evil presence. I hated to say it, but I knew in my heart that was the way. "Left," I said. Neither Layla nor Milo questioned me, just followed my lead silently.

The floor of the tunnel was covered in an inch or two of water, and I could feel it seeping into my shoes. I could tell that the water was flowing back the way we had come, because it splashed when it hit our shoes. I was shaking from the cold, but I pulled my arms tight to my body and continued on. I knew that I couldn't stop. Percy only had a few days left, and I couldn't take any chances. As much as it hurt me to admit it, I knew that there was even a chance that I might not find him.

 _No,_ I told myself. _I won't let that happen. I_ will _find him, no matter what it takes._ I wished I could contact him, but I couldn't risk another Iris-message, for obvious reasons. What was I going to do? I'm the daughter of Athena. I'm always supposed to have a plan. So why didn't I have one then?


	17. Worrying

**Author's Note: This is late again, but honestly, were you guys really surprised? I always post late. LOL. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I know it's really short, sorry about that. I'm glad you guys like the story so far and I appreciate all of your positive feedback! Last but not least, I'm sure by now you already know that I do not own Percy Jackson.**

 **Chapter Seventeen: Thalia POV: Worrying**

When Will told me I was okay to leave the infirmary, the first thing I did was run to the spare bedroom of the Big House, where I knew Chiron had taken Luke. I threw the door open, alarming Argus, the camp security. All of his eyes blinked simultaneously in surprise. I ran over to Luke, who had stood up when I entered, and threw my arms around him.

"We're safe! We made it off the ship, and we got here, and Chiron must know you're telling the truth! I can't believe we're alive!" I laughed. I had just realized how much we had done over the past few days, and that finally we were safe. It was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

He hugged me back. "I know, Thali, I know." He pulled away, a serious look on his face. "A few minutes ago, Chiron came back to speak to me. He told me that Annabeth had seen that Percy's in danger. She left only a few hours before we got here on a quest to go find him, with Layla, the daughter of Hypnos, and Milo, the son of Hecate. She went... she went... she went to find an entrance of the maze. The prophecy told her that's where she would need to go."

"No..." My voice faded. "Luke, this is all our fault. If we hadn't left her, she never would have left on the quest without us. What if something happens to her? We won't be there to protect her. I know she can protect herself, but what if something happens like what happened with the Cyclops at that mansion? What if something happens in the maze?" I sank down and leaned against the wall.

Wondering why the floor was wet, I glanced up to see Argus shedding tears from all of his eyes. Luke handed him the tissue box on the nightstand.

"She's smart, Thalia," Luke reassured me. "I mean, she saved us back at that mansion. And she's survived the maze once before. She can find her way out again." As much as his words made it sound like he wasn't worried, I could tell he clearly was. We needed to help Annabeth, and fast.


	18. We're Running Out of Time

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone! So apparently I had only written up to chapter seventeen, so I wrote this today. Again, I'm sorry its short, but like I said, Luke chapters are hard to write. Also, I just wanted to let you all know that I may take a short hiatus so that I can write a few chapters in advance, and I will keep you all posted on that. As I'm sure you already know, I do not own Percy Jackson.**

 **Chapter Eighteen: Luke POV: We're Running Out of Time**

After our conversation, Thalia left the room, and I reflected a little bit. I had put on a façade pretending that I wasn't worried, even though I was, but I could tell that Thalia didn't buy it. She knew me well enough to realize that I was worried, and I could bet that she was already planning a way to help.

After the events of the day, I was exhausted, and I reclined on the bed, trying to stay awake. I needed to find a way to help Annabeth, like I knew Thalia was doing. My eyes slid closed, and I fell asleep, mind still racing.

I dreamed I was standing in a cavern. I couldn't see anything. The air felt humid, and it felt like there was something in the cavern near me.

"The boy _escaped_?" A harsh voice asked. It didn't seem to be coming from anywhere specific; instead, it was coming from all around me. The hairs on the back of my neck tingled. I shivered, and goosebumps rose on my arms. _Kronos._

I realized he wasn't talking to me, and looked around. Obviously I couldn't see anything, as it was pitch black, but I knew that I wasn't alone.

"Y-Yes, Master," someone answered. The person's voice was clearly female, high-pitched almost to the point of whininess. I knew who it was instantly. Kelli the _empousa_.

"And you didn't try to stop him?" Kronos was getting angry.

"Well, we tried, Master," she stammered, "but he and the girl got away. We thought they died."

"Well, you thought wrong. We must plan an attack. The boy has rejoined his former allies."

"Master, what about the other boy? The one you're holding captive in-"

"Silence!" Kronos shouted. I flinched. "You never know who may be listening." He paused. "Kill the boy. The one we're holding captive. Even if they surrender, which I am sure they won't, the boy is too powerful. He must die."

"Yes, M-Master," Kelli stuttered.

Suddenly, a loud noise jolted me awake. In my sleep, I had stretched out an arm and knocked a vase off of the nightstand. It had crashed to the floor, spilling water and wilting lilies all over the floor. Argus was bent over, trying to mop up the mess with a handful of tissues. I leaned back against the pillows, breathing heavily. We needed to contact Annabeth, and fast.

"Argus," I said. He looked up, startled. I was about to tell him that I needed to speak to Chiron when the dinner bell rang, and Argus stood up, ready to escort me to dinner. "I need to speak with Chiron. They're going to kill Percy."

Argus looked at me, wide-eyed, and led the way out of the room, down the hall toward Chiron's office.


	19. Caught

**Author's Note: Sorry this is late again, guys! Instead of taking a hiatus, I have decided that from now on, I am just going to post once a week, every Monday. In the future, I may start posting two chapters a week again, but for right now, I am just going to stick with one. Once again, thanks for all of the positive reviews! I really appreciate it!**

 **Chapter Nineteen: Annabeth POV: Caught**

As Milo, Layla, and I continued on down the path we had chosen, the light began to get dimmer and dimmer. We came across another three path cross roads and selected the right one. The stones that had previously comprised the walls and floor of the tunnel faded into more modern tile and plaster.

I began to second-guess myself. This didn't seem right. Was I sure I had chosen the correct path? A warm, putrid smell blew past us, and we all covered our noses. I stopped dead in my tracks, causing Milo and Layla to nearly run into me. "Wait," I said. "This isn't right. We need to turn around. Now!"

We started running back the way we came, but sadly, we weren't fast enough. I should have known it was a trap. I silently scolded myself.

"Ha ha ha!" A shrill voice giggled. A shiver ran down my spine.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of us, and we screeched to a halt. A light switched on from somewhere, although I couldn't see the source. I looked down and saw a small creature.

"Well, you've fallen right into my little trap! Stupid demigods!" the creature chuckled again. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the creature looked very much like the goblins I had read about in fairy tales as a child. About three feet tall, it had grey-tinged skin, a tuft of grey hair on the top if its head, tall, pointed ears, large black eyes, and large feet.

I looked behind me to Layla and Milo. Layla was rolling her eyes in annoyance. I could tell neither of them thought the creature in front of us was very frightening. Neither did I, but I shot them both a warning look not to show it. I was sure that the creature would be a lot more frightening if we made him mad.

He extended a hand and touched the wall. The whole tunnel rumbled, and the creature stared at us smugly. Before I could tell the others that we needed to make a run for it, even if it meant running right into the clutches of whatever was behind us, the ground split and we fell into total blackness.


	20. The Announcement

**Author's Note: I was supposed to post this yesterday but I kind of forgot. Sorry everyone! Hope you like this chapter!**

 **Chapter Twenty: Thalia POV: The Announcement**

After leaving Luke, I went to the Zeus cabin. I didn't really feel like talking to anyone at the moment, although the moment I walked into the Zeus cabin, I regretted my decision. It was freezing in there. I pulled my water-damaged leather jacket around my arms and swept the dust off of my old bed roll. Then I sat down and thought about our situation. What could I do to help Annabeth?

After a few minutes of thinking, I ended up falling asleep. I only woke up to the sound of the dinner bell much later. I sighed, contemplating remaining where I was, but I knew I needed to eat, and besides, they were going to announce Luke and my return to camp. It would be kind of awkward if I didn't show up for that.

I got up and exited the cabin, making my way to the dining hall. All around me, campers were streaming from the fields, the forest, the canoe lake, the arena, the basketball courts, and the cabins. I gulped and joined the crowd flooding toward the open-air dining pavilion.

I could smell barbecue and smiled. My favorite. I was making my way toward the usually empty Zeus table when Chiron beckoned me over from the head table. Confused, I made my way over.

"What is it, Chiron?" he beckoned for me to sit down next to him. I did.

"I spoke to Luke," he said in a hushed voice that worried me. "Luke has informed me that Kronos is planning to kill Percy sooner than he had originally announced." I gasped. "Annabeth may not be able to get there in time."

Chiron said that slightly louder than he expected, and a hush came over the dining pavilion. It didn't last for long, though. Campers started murmuring almost immediately.

"Percy's captured?"

"Is it true that Luke's back?"

"Luke's back? Really?"

"Are you sure we can trust him?"

"QUIET!" Chiron shouted. It was the loudest I've ever heard him speak. "Yes, the rumors are true. Luke is back." Campers started whispering again, but Chiron waved a hand and they were silent. "We have made the decision to trust him. Thalia has returned as well."

All eyes turned to me. I looked down. Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand. It was Luke. He took a seat on my left. Everyone stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Also, Annabeth of the Athena cabin has left on a quest with Milo of the Hecate cabin and Layla of the Hypnos cabin to rescue Percy Jackson who has been captured by the enemy."

Any whispering that had continued before this announcement ended quickly.

"Furthermore, Luke has informed us that Kronos plans to kill Percy sooner than he previously announced, most likely before Annabeth can get there to save him."

The dining hall was suddenly alive with noise again. "What do we do?"

"SILENCE!" Chiron shouted again. "We declare war."


	21. Regrets

**Author's Note: Ugh guys I know this is short I'm really sorry! I also know this is late and I'm sorry about that too! I also just wanted to let you guys know that I probably won't be keeping to my usual schedule once the summer is over, so if there isn't a chapter every week don't be surprised, but I will update this as often as I am able! I'm glad you all like my story! And of course by now you all know that I don't own Percy Jackson.**

 **Chapter Twenty-One: Luke POV: Regrets**

After Chiron's announcement, the pavilion was yet again alive with noise; panicked campers discussed the situation loudly with each other. Some had even dropped their glasses in surprise at the situation, leading harpies to frantically flock to the pavilion to clean up shattered glass. Chiron sat back down in his wheelchair, knowing that not even his instructions could lead the campers to return to their meals as normal.

I looked down at my plate and moved the rice around with my fork. This was all my fault. If I had been a little more convincing to the fact that I was still on Kronos's side, he never would have done this. I should have stayed there and pretended to be a loyal servant, at least until Annabeth found Percy. I didn't tell Thalia this, but I had known about Percy being captured for a while. I didn't want to tell her, to make her angrier at me than she already was at that time.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Thalia looking at me, concerned. "Luke? Are you okay?" I lifted my head to look at her and a wave if nausea overcame me. All this, _everything,_ was my fault and there wasn't anything I could do to make it right. I took a drink of water and closed my eyes.

"You should go lie down," she said. "You look like you just fought a monster. Which is, to say, you look sick."

I stood up slowly. Chiron met my eyes, understanding, and nodded. "Luke, lad, you can return to the Hermes cabin if you wish."

I smiled weakly to let him know I was grateful and made my way to the Zeus cabin. Glancing back at the chaotic pavilion behind me, I could see that almost all eyes were on me. I turned back around and continued back in the direction I was heading.

When I got to the cabin, I found a rolled up sleeping bag in a small rectangle of space in the corner and unrolled it, laying down. My last thought before I fell asleep was wondering what I could do to fix the mess that I created.


End file.
